The Role of Indian Tribal Communities in Medicinal Plant-Based Healing Traditions

Abstract

Indian tribal communities maintain diverse systems of plant-based healing that connect knowledge of local biodiversity with household care, specialist practice, cultural identity and resource management. This review examines their contributions to medicinal plant identification, therapeutic knowledge, preparation practices, intergenerational transmission, conservation and contemporary research. The work demonstrates substantial regional diversity and the importance of healers, elders and women as knowledge holders. Plant identity, preparation, dosage, contamination and interactions remain important safety considerations. Habitat degradation and changes in opportunities for learning threaten the continuity of healing knowledge, while commercial development can create both benefits and inequities.